Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guelph and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,586 in Guelph, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Guelph
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Guelph Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Guelph

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,586

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guelph and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guelph and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,586 in Guelph versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Guelph $2,586
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,627 in Guelph versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Guelph $3,627
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,669 in Guelph versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Guelph $4,669
Nosara $3,712

Living in Guelph is roughly 41% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Guelph 93% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.26 CA$30.31

$12.22 ₡5,509

73.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 CA$101

$60.2 ₡27.1K

17.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$16.03

$7.54 ₡3,399

49.20%

Cappuccino

$3.40 CA$4.84

$4.31 ₡1,941

-21.11%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.12

$1.72 ₡773

-13.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 CA$1.92

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 CA$7.16

$3.24 ₡1,459

55.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 CA$8.52

$4.48 ₡2,018

33.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CA$3.00

$1.57 ₡707

33.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 CA$4.05

$3.17 ₡1,429

-10.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.36

$2.42 ₡1,091

55.37%

Eggs

$2.86 CA$4.08

$3.57 ₡1,609

-19.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 CA$14.37

$7.43 ₡3,349

35.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.98

$10.42 ₡4,697

47.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.75 CA$31.00

$13.66 ₡6,156

59.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.19

$2.32 ₡1,044

56.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.86

$1.61 ₡728

-19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 CA$6.29

$4.74 ₡2,138

-6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 CA$6.41

$1.66 ₡747

171.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$3.72 ₡1,679

-8.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CA$3.33

$3.57 ₡1,611

-34.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 CA$4.15

$1.10 ₡497

164.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.15

$2.55 ₡1,149

-40.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 CA$15.36

$4.95 ₡2,232

117.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 CA$15.74

$20.01 ₡9,020

-44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 CA$4.92

$2.79 ₡1,256

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.45

$3.53 ₡1,589

-11.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$1.19 ₡537

87.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 CA$93.3

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-9.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 CA$3.41

$2.24 ₡1,011

6.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 CA$2.52

$1.55 ₡701

14.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.16 CA$34.43

$8.86 ₡3,993

172.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.61

$1.57 ₡708

-28.03%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.2K CA$40.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

29.34%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.2K CA$28.7K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-41.79%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$123 CA$175

$93.5 ₡42.1K

31.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$42.86 CA$61.1

$35.11 ₡15.8K

22.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 CA$78.6

$51.5 ₡23.2K

7.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 CA$77.9

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-23.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.12 CA$20.13

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-60.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 CA$14.85

$7.84 ₡3,535

32.91%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$812 CA$1,158

$490 ₡220.7K

65.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

39.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 CA$88.0

$53.5 ₡24.1K

15.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.02 CA$51.3

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-35.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$122

$79.3 ₡35.7K

8.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$176

$78.9 ₡35.6K

56.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 CA$2,072

$786 ₡354.3K

84.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 CA$1,964

$780 ₡351.6K

76.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 CA$2,876

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-47.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 CA$2,757

$1,407 ₡634.4K

37.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,827 CA$6,881

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-30.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,691 CA$6,686

$1,201 ₡541.3K

290.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,147 CA$4,486

$876 ₡395.0K

259.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

8.62

-42.11%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Guelph: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Guelph

$1.4K 53.1%

Nosara

$780 43% 43.4% $598

Groceries & Markets

Guelph

$405 15.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 13.7% $55

Eating Out

Guelph

$293 11.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 28.5% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guelph

$221 8.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 18.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Guelph

$138 5.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 12.8% $18

Getting Around

Guelph

$86 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.4% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Guelph

$76 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 15.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,453 in Guelph and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guelph pays 259% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Guelph vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Guelph

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

23:05 11:05 PM

2 h behind Guelph

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

131,794

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Guelph Nosara 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Guelph
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Guelph vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 259% higher in Guelph, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,453 in Guelph versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Guelph. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $71.0 in Guelph. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,586 in Guelph, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Guelph. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Guelph, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Guelph and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Guelph. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.